History
In the colonial period, conflicts between settlers and native tribes resulted in the abandonment of towns and missions including Melodía, Timbó, Naranajay and Remolinos.
Only Fort Borbon, today called Fort Olimpo, survived. Founded during the government of Alos and Bru, the garrison contained the southern advance of the Portuguese.
French settlers tried but failed to settle the area, with the exception of "Villa Occidental".
It was named Presidente Hayes after the War against the Triple Alliance, in honor of the United States president Rutherford B. Hayes, whose intervention resulted in Paraguay retaining the territory.
In 1906, during the political division of Paraguay, it was split in two regions, Oriental and Occidental. The latter was divided in military headquarters that depended on the War and Marine Ministry.
Important dates for this department include June 12 (Chaco Peace Day), September 29 (Boquerón Victory Day) and November 12 (Laudo Hayes Firm Day).
Read more about this topic: Presidente Hayes Department
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“A poet’s object is not to tell what actually happened but what could or would happen either probably or inevitably.... For this reason poetry is something more scientific and serious than history, because poetry tends to give general truths while history gives particular facts.”
—Aristotle (384–323 B.C.)
“It is the true office of history to represent the events themselves, together with the counsels, and to leave the observations and conclusions thereupon to the liberty and faculty of every man’s judgement.”
—Francis Bacon (1561–1626)
“Tell me of the height of the mountains of the moon, or of the diameter of space, and I may believe you, but of the secret history of the Almighty, and I shall pronounce thee mad.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)